Rodding machine



y 1963 w. H. STEWART, JR 3,098,251

RODDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.|.

INVENTORZ WILLIAM H. STEWART,JR.

HIS ATTORNEY.

July 23, 1963 w. H. STEWART, JR

RODDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 10, 1961 INVENTOR: WILLIAMH. STEWART,JR. BY WMW-v HIS ATTORNEY.

July 23, 1963 w. H. STEWART, JR

RODDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 10, 1961 FIG.6.

INVENTQR WILLIAM H.STEWART,JR. M

HIS ATTQRNEY.

United States Patent 3,098,251 RQDDTNG MAQHINE v Wiiiiam H. Stewart, In,391 (Iherry Road, Syracuse, N311. Filed Nov. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 151,5373 Claims. ((11. 1tl4.3)

This invention relates to and has as a general object a new and improvedsewer rodding machine.

Sewer rodding machines are utilized by municipalities, public utilitiesand the like for cleaning underground conduits such as sanitary andstorm sewers, wiring ducts, and the like. Such machines function to feedeither sectional or one-piece rod through a conduit section, after whichthe front end of the rod is connected to a cable provided with asuitable cleanout or repair tool such as a cleanout bucket, a rootauger, or the like, and the rod and cable with the tool are then pulledback through the conduit section. The tool is normally connected at bothends to cable so that the tool may be pulled back and forth through theconduit. Such machines presently being commercially used, utilize acone-shaped basket, which is provided wtih a power drive to feed the rodin and out of the basket. The basket is utilized to maintain the rodwhich is of relatively thick cross-section in a coil within the basket,and to impant a rotative movement to the rod. A separate friction feedmeans is utilized to feed the rod forwardly and rearwardly into and outof the basket. A machine of this general type is shown and disclosed inPatent 2,594,256.

In such sewer rodding machines, such as shown in the above-mentionedpatent, the rod utilized in the machine is of the sectional variety andthe sections are connected together by couplers. As will be obvious,sectional rods of this type are weakest at the couplings between thesections, and it has been found in practice that such rods invariablybreak at the coupling point between the sections. In addition, aspecialized feed is necessary with such sectional rods in order toaccommodate the couplings, which normally are of a greater diameter thanthe rod sections. Accordingly, machines of the type shown in the patentare undesirable for a number of reasons. For example, the rod receivingthe basket is large and cumbersome thus causing the rodding machine tobe of unduly large size. In addition, the feed means for the rod hasheretofore been of the frictional type and must have a relatively largefeed force in order to overcome the resiliency of the rod and to preventslippage. Finally, the sectional rod is undesirable for the reason aboveset forth.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new andimproved sewer rodding machine utilizing a one-piece sewer rod which mayfunction to selectively impart a rotative movement to the sewer rod asit is being fed either in a forward or rearward direct-ion byselectively imparting a rotative movement in two substantiallyperpendicular planes to the mechanism in which the sewer rod is mountedor received.

Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improvedrod basket for a sewer rodding machine wherein the rod basket isprovided with new and improved means for retaining the rod on [thebasket regardless of the number of turns of rod received *on the basket.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide rod retainingmeans for a sewer rod basket with automatic tension means to maintainthe coiled rod on the basket with the same degree of tension regardlessof the number of turns or rod received on the basket.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describingthis invent-ion reference is had to the ac- "ice companyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

In the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferredembodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a por tion of the rodbasket.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary View of the rod retaining means for thebasket.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view of the drive means for the machine takenon line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a View taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

The rodding machine comprising the preferred embodiment of the inventioncomprises a main chassis made up of structural side pieces 10 and 12,which are joined together at their opposite ends by lower end members 14and 16, (not shown) and upper end members '18 and 20, the members 14 and16 being suitably affixed to the members 10 and 12, as by welding, orthe like. Upstanding rear and front legs 21, 22, 23 and 24,respectively, are suitably aflixed to the side members it and 12, as bywelding, and the upper end member 18 is suitably affixed to the rearlegs 21 and 22, as by welding, while the upper end member 26 is in likemanner afiixed to the front legs 23 and 24.

The main chassis is provided with an axle 26, which is afiixed in anysuitable manner to the side members 10 and 12, and is provided on itsouter end with ground wheels 23 and 39. Finally, the main chassis isprovided with 3 structural members 3%), 3i and 32, which are affixed tothe rear end and leg members $14, 21 and 22, respectively. The members39, 31 and 32 are joined together at their outer ends (not shown) andare provided with a trailer hitch, or the like, to permit the machine tobe attached to a tow truck, or the like. Top members 18 and 20 are eachprovided with e. pillow block bearing 36 and 38 for a purpose to behereinafter described.

The reference numeral 40 indicates a basket or reel supporting framemade up of a pair of square end plates 41 and 42, and are joinedtogether at their corners by four rods, 43, 44, 45 and 4-6. The endplate 41 has a tubular stub shaft 48 aflixed thereto by any suitablemeans, and the shaft 48 is journaled in the bearing 36. The opposite endplate 42 is provided on its outer surface with a brake cylinder 50 forbraking means (not shown) which has a sprocket 52 aflixed thereto by anysuitable means. An arcuate shaped hollow feed-out tube 54 is afiixed tothe end plate 42, brake cylinder 50* and sprocket 52 by any suitablemeans, and the outer end of the feedout tube 54 is journaled in thebearing '38 whereby the entire reel frame 49 is journaled for rotationin the machine chassis.

The drive means for the frame 40' comprises a hydraulic motor 6% whichis provided with a drive sprocket 62 which is connected by an endlesschain 64 to the reel frame drive sprocket 52 whereby the frame 40 may berotated about a horizontal axis in the bearings 36 and 38.

Affixed between the top and bottom frame rods 45, 43, and 46 and 44- area pair of structural members 65 and 66 by any suitable means such aswelding, or the like, one pair of which are shown in FIGURE 1. Afiixedbetween each pair of the members 65 and 66 is a self-aligning bearing68. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the location of the members 65, 66, andbearings 68 along the side pairs of members '46, 44 and 45, 43' isstaggered so that the shaft 70 received in the bearings 68' is angularlylocated with respect to the horizontal axis of the frame 10 for a reasonto be hereinafter described.

The shaft 70 is the main shaft of the rod basket or reel which iscomprised of a pair of hubs 72 and 73, see FIGURE 1, each connected by aplurality of radially extending channel-shaped spokes 74 to a pair ofcylindrical rods 76. The spokes 74 are connected intermediate their endsby angle members 77 to a flat rim 78 extending around the entire portionof the reel, designated generally by the reference numeral 80. As willbe obvious, the rim plate 78, together with the spokes 74 and the rods76 comprise a rod receiving channel 32 around the outer periphery ofreel 80, see FIGURE 3. As shown in that figure, a plurality of turns ofendless sewer rod 04 are shown as being coiled on the basket 80.

The reel 80 is provided with means for retaining the coiled rod 84 inthe channel 82 formed in the reel 80. Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4,this means comprises a pair of endless chains 86 and 88, which areconnected together at a plurality of spaced apart points by cross straps90. As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 6, the cross straps 90 are carried bya pair of angula'rly shaped fingers 92, which have their vertical legconnected to the roller of the chains 86 and 88, between the inner links94 and 96 of the chain.

The horizontal leg of the member 92 is connected by means of a bolt andnut 93 to the strap 90 so that the end faces of the strap 90 abut theouter connecting links 99 of the chains 86 and 88. As will be obvious,the square end faces of the straps 90 abutting the outer connectinglinks of the chains prevent the chains from becoming cocked, or out ofstep with each other.

The chains and cross straps, referred to as the rod retaining means, arereceived in the rod channel 82 of the basket 80 to maintain the coiledrod 84 in the channel 82, regardless of the number of turns of rodreceived in the channel 32. As best seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 5, thechains 83 and 88 pass out of the channel 82 of the reel 80 at theout-feed end of the machine and are trained over an upper idler wheel100, and a lower idler wheel 102, and are entrained over a pair of drivesprockets 103, 105, one of which is shown in FIGURE 1. The idler wheels100 and 102 are each mounted on an arm 104, which is pivotally mountedon a bracket 106, carried by a cross piece (not shown) connected betweenthe lower rods 43 and 44, and upper rods 45 and 46 of the reel frame 40.The arms 104 have an adjusting arm 108 pivotally connected to the arm104 intermediate its ends, and the outer end of the arms 108 areprovided with a plurality of adjusting apertures 110 in order to permitthe arms to be pinned in various positions of adjustment to the bracket112. As will be obvious, this mounting of the idler wheels 100 and 102,allows the position of the wheels to be adjusted so as to maintain therod retaining chains 86 and 88 in the reel 80 for a major portion of thecircumference of the reel 80.

The drive sprockets 103, 105 are mounted on a cross shaft 114 receivedin bearings 116, aflixed to the outer ends of hell crank, or rocker anms11a; and 120. The arms 118 and 120 are mounted intermediate their endson a cross shaft 121, which is received at its outer ends in a pair ofself-aligning pillow-block bearings 122 and 124, see FIGURE 2. The innerends of the arms 118 and 120 are connected by coiled tension springs126, as best shown in FIGURE 1, to the members 66, connected between therods 43 and 45, and 44 and 46. This arrangement provides aself-adjusting tensioning means which will function to maintain the rodretaining chains and cross straps 90 in tight engagement against the rod84 coiled on the basket 80 regardless of the number of turns of the rods84 on the basket. That is, as the rod is being coiled on to the reel 80,increasing the diameter of the rod receiving channel 82, the arms 118and 120 will move slowly in a clockwise fashion, as viewed in FIGURE 1,thus adjusting the position of the drive sprockets 103, 105, carried onthe outer ends of the arms 118, 120. Conversely, as the rod is pulledoff of the reel 80, the arms 118 and 120, and drive sprockets 103, 105will, un-

der the influence of the springs 126, move in a counterclockwisedirection about the shaft 119, with the decrease in diameter of the rodreceiving channel 82, and the reel 80.

The drive sprockets 103, mounted on the drive shaft 114 receive theirpower through a drive comprising sprocket afiixed on the outer end ofshaft 114, endless chain 132, sprocket 134, atfixed to the shaft 119,sprocket 136 aifixed to the shaft 119, chain 138, and sprocket 140,afiixed to a main drive shaft 142.

The main drive shaft 142 is connected at its inner end to a speedreducer 144, and the opposite end of the shaft 142 is journaled in aself-aligning pillow-block bearing 146 mounted on an upstanding bracketaffixed to the lower rod member 44 on the frame 40.

The speed reducer 144 is connected by a shaft 148, which passes theentire length of the reel frame 40, through a bracket 150 having a pairof hearings, in which the shaft 140 is journaled. A sprocket 152 isconnected to the rearward end of the shaft 148 in the bracket 150, andthe sprocket 152 is connected by a chain 154 to a sprocket 1'56 fixedlyconnected to the outer end of the shaft 158 of hydraulic motor 160. Thepump motor shaft 158 passes through the tubular reel shaft 48, as shownin FIGURES 1 and 2, to provide the drive for the main drive shaft 142,as just described.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 5, the reel 80 is also provided with a drivemeans. In FIGURE 3, the reel 30 is provided with a plurality of angularsupport members 162 having their inner leg mounted on the exterior ofthe spokes 74, and a cylindrical plate 164 is connected to the outerlegs of the support members 162 by means of a bolt 166. The cylindricalplate 164 is provided with a plurality of angular members 168 connectedto a drive chain 170 by the outer leg of the members 168. Each member168 is connected to the chain 170 in a manner, generally similar to thatshown in FIGURE 6, and the inner leg of the member 168 is connected tothe bolt 166.

A drive sprocket 172 is mounted with its teeth in mesh with the chain170, whereby the sprocket 172 will drive the chain 170, and in turn thereel 80. The sprocket 172 is fixedly mounted on the inner end of a stubshaft 174, the outer end of which is received in a self-aligning hearing176 mounted on a plate 178 carried by a pair of angular structuralmembers 130 mounted between the reel frame rods 46 and 44. A sprocket182 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 174 intermediate its ends, and thesprocket 182 is connected by a chain 184 to a sprocket 186, which isfixedly mounted on the main drive shaft 142.

Accordingly, it will be seen that driving power is imparted to the reeldrive sprocket 172, and the rod tensioning means sprockets 104 by meansof the main drive shaft 142.

The control system for the rodding machine includes a main control unit190, which may consist of a pair of hydraulic valves (not shown) foroperating the motors 60 and 160 in both the forward and reversedirection, a hydraulic reservoir 192, a main drive motor 194 which maybe of the gasoline combustion type, and a pair of hydraulic pumps 1% and.193 which are mounted in tandem on the main shaft of the motor 194.These units have been represented schematically in the drawings, andreferring to FIGURE 2 it will be seen that the motors 196 and 193 areconnected to the valves (not shown) in the main control unit by thelines 200 and 201. Each of the valves in the unit 190 is connected bylines 202 and 203, and 204 and 205 to the opposite sides of the motors60 and 160, respectively. Each of the motors 60 and 160 is provided withdrain lines 206 and 207 which are connected to the reservoir 192. Thereservoir 192 is connected by a main feed line 208 to the pumps 196 and198, and the control unit 190 is connected by a return line 210 to thereservoir 192. The valves in the control unit maybe provided withoperating means (not shown) which function when actuated to change theconnection between the pumps 196 and 198 through lines 200 and 201through the control unit 190 from line 202 to line 203- and from line204 to line 205, or vice versa, as the case may be, to reverse the driveof the motors '60 and 160, and a further control valve and suitablehydraulic connections (not shown) may be provided, together with a brakeband (not shown) entrained around the brake face '50, so as to providebraking means for the reel frame 40. The control system is conventional,and permits selective forward rotation of both the reel frame 40* andthe reel 80 in order to feed the rod '84- forwardly and rearwardlythrough the underground conduit, and to selectively impart a rotativemovement to the rod. In general, it is desirable to impart a rotativemovement to the rod as it is being fed forwardly through the conduit inorder to aid the for-ward feed of the rod. When the the rod is beingwithdrawn from the conduit, however, it is generally not necessary toimpart a rotati ve movement to the rod. Accordingly, the control systempermits such selective operation.

As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the rod 8 4- passes out of the rodchannel 82 in the reel 80, and due to the angular disposition of thereel 80, the rod will pass under the rod retaining chains 86 and 88, andcross straps 90, and into the arcuated feed-out tube 54, which rotateswith the reel frame 40 so as to guide both the in and outfeed of the rod84.

It will thus be apparent that by my invention, I have provided a new andimproved sewer rodding machine which operates to feed one-piece rodeither forwardly or rearwardly, and which will also impart a rotativemovement to the rod, or not, as is desired. Further, the automatictensioning means provided in my invention will serve to effectivelymaintain a coiled rod on a rod reel regardless of the number of turns ofthe rod on the reel.

What I claim is:

1. A sewer rodding machine comprising:

(a) a reel having a rim and a pair of side walls,

=(b) a rod coiled on said rim,

(c) means for rotating said reel forwardly and rearwardly in thedirection of 'feed of said rod,

(d) said reel being mounted on a :frame elongated in the direction offeed of the rod and in a position 6 askew of the lengthwise axis of saidtrame to (facilitate the feeding of said rod, (e) said frame beingmounted on a chassis for rotation about a longitudinal aXis of saidframe substan- 5 tially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of saidreel, whereby to impart rotation to said rod during the feeding andretraction thereof,

(f) means for retaining said coiled rod on said reel rim including anendless belt arranged to rotate with said reel between the side wallsthereof to hold said rod on said reel rim, said belt being in engagementwith said rod for a major portion of the circumference of said reel rim,

(g) said endless belt being provided with tensioning means forautomatically varying the tension on said belt in response to avariation in the amount of rod coiled on said reel rim.

2. The sewer rodding machine of claim 1 wherein said endless beltcomprises:

(a) a pair of chains entrained over a pair of sprockets,

said chains being spaced apart a distance complemental to the distancebetween the side walls of said rail,

(b) and a plurality of cross links interconnected between said chains.

3. The sewer rodding machine of claim 1, wherein said tensioning meanscomprises:

(a) a rocker arm assembly having its middle portion References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lamb Dec. 19, 1899 SeidelJune 3, 1930 Wittel Jan. 9, 1934 Quick July 25, 1939 Humphreys Feb. 20,1940 Wilson Feb. 28, 1950

1. A SEWER RODDING MACHINE COMPRISING: (A) A REEL HAVING A RIM AND APAIR OF SIDE WALLS; (B) A ROD COILED ON SAID RIM, (E) MEANS FOR ROTATINGSAID REEL FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY IN THE DIRECTION OF FEED OF SAID ROD,(D) SAID REEL BEING MOUNTED ON A FRAME ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OFFEED OF THE ROD AND IN A POSITION ASKEW OF THE LENGTHWISE AXIS OF SAIDFRAME TO FACILITATE THE FEEDING OF SAID ROD, (E) SAID FRAME BEINGMOUNTED ON A CHASSIS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAIDFRAME SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID REELWHEREBY TO IMPART ROTATION TO SAID ROD DURING THE FEEDING AND RETRACTIONTHEREOF, (F) MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID COILED ROD ON SAID REEL RIMINCLUDING AN ENDLESS BELT ARRANGED TO ROTATE WITH SAID REEL BETWEEN THESIDE WALLS THEREOF TO HOLD SAID ROD ON SAID REEL RIM, SAID BELT BEING INENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RODZ FOR A MAJOR PORTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OFSAID REEL RIM, (G) SAID ENDLESS BELT BEING PROVIDED WITH TENSIONINGMEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY VARYING THE TENSION ON SAID BELT IN RESPONSE TOA VARIATION IN THE AMOUNT OF ROD COILED ON SAID REEL RIM.